Product Description

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In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Product Information

Publisher's Description

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2014 Carol Award Winner for Speculative

The Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones

In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty nears its end and the selection of the new king begins--but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones.

"With an engaging, imaginative world that bristles with danger, characters that keep you guessing, and a story that sticks with you, A Cast of Stones will keep you devouring pages until the very end. I highly recommend it!" --John W. Otte, author of Failstate

"Carr's debut, the first in a series, is assured and up-tempo, with much to enjoy in characterization and description--not least the homely, life-as-lived details." -Publishers Weekly

This fast-paced fantasy debut set in a medieval world is a winner. Both main and secondary characters are fully drawn and endearing, and Errol's transformation from drunkard to hero is well plotted. Carr is a promising CF author to watch. Fans of epic Christian fantasies will enjoy discovering a new voice. "Like the preceding series title, Inescapable, this tale of suspense offers a colorful cast of characters, small-town drama, and a hint of romance. A sure bet for fans of Hannah Alexander." --Library Journal

"[Good fantasy books] have to be excellent. Good storytelling and exceptional characters with circumstances that are easy enough to follow and wrap your brain around but keep you entertained and guessing... Cast of Stones has found itself firmly in that list of books. I absolutely, one hundred percent loved this book." --Radiant Lit

Author Bio

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Patrick W. Carr teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four awesome sons, Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Learn more at www.patrickwcarr.com.

Publishers Weekly

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Errols life is an alcoholic scrabble through village tedium until the day a church messenger asks him to convey important letters to Martin, the local hermit, as only Errol has the wilderness skills to reach the priest quickly. When Martin realizes Errol has the gift of sight, the priest and his enigmatic servant, Luis, force Errol to join them on an urgent trip to the churchs seat in Erinon, where the kings successor will be chosen. Life is no longer a drunken stupor, but unless Errol embraces his gifts and his calling, its likely to be brutally short. Carrs debut, the first in a series, is assured and up-tempo, with much to enjoy in characterization and descriptionnot least the homely, life-as-lived detailsbut the plot is convention-bound, set in a standard white male fantasy world with standard virtues and flaws. Understated Christian elements are somewhat undercut by the churchs reliance on assassins and fortune-tellers, but non-Christian fantasy fans will take it all in stride. (Feb.) 2012 Reed Business Information

I downloaded a free copy, and upon starting reading I could have sworn I read the first chapter before but at that time I lost interest and gave up or maybe it was only a small sample that I had read, either way the beginning of the book really did not draw me in and if I had to have made a judgement on the first few chapters only then I would not have recommended it or enjoyed it. It took me quite some time before I became invested/engaged in the book but once I did I enjoyed the read and kept wanting to read more. Part of the issue for me was how little we know about the main character in the beginning...people kept calling him 'boy' but yet he was the town drunk...it must take some time to get a reputation and didn't think a child would not be given drink so I found myself floundering for a mental image of the character for the first few chapters and find that outputting in a book. But once things started coming together I got much more engaged in the book/characters and by halfway was enjoying it more, near the end I just wanted to keep reading. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters (once they came together) and the premise. Some parts could be more polished (character building / sudden emotion swings / keeping of secrets for no apparent plot or emotional reason) and some parts could be better done (better development of plot, better build up to some parts or explanations afterwards in others) but overall an enjoyable read and by the end I was definitely wanting to read the second book in the series. (wish I could better articulate how to improve the writing but I'm not so good at that.)

A Cast of Stones: The staff and the sword series no 1 - eBook - Patrick W Carr

March 4, 2015

Marlezeanne

Quality:4

Value:4

Meets Expectations:4

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a fantasy novel that transports you to a different world and time. I felt that I could identify with the main character - Errol Stone, and the journey he underwent and the maturity and wisdom that he found along the way. It was a pity that I could not read the second book in the series. I would recommend this book.